Serviceman Visit Plan Optimization for Urgent Failure Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional visit planning techniques for servicemen do not account for urgent call-outs to apparatuses excluded from the initial visit plan, leading to increased downtime due to longer response times when unexpected failures occur.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus that predicts failure occurrence in multiple apparatuses and creates visit plans for servicemen, incorporating an emergency response cost to ensure quick access to apparatuses with high failure probabilities, by calculating the distance between excluded apparatuses and the nearest serviceman, thereby optimizing visit plans to minimize downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a visit plan is created based on conventional techniques considering movement cost and failure risk, then maintenance cost is minimized, but response time to urgent failures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing the nearest serviceman information for each apparatus before failures occur. When a failure happens, the system immediately retrieves the pre-prepared nearest serviceman data, enabling instant response without real-time calculation delays. This resolves the contradiction by preparing response resources in advance, reducing both response time and downtime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring apparatus status and dynamically updating visit plans based on real-time failure occurrences. The system feeds back the actual failure information to the visit plan creation unit, which then adjusts serviceman assignments to minimize response time. This feedback loop ensures the system adapts to urgent situations while optimizing overall maintenance efficiency.
2Productivity
If servicemen are assigned to visit specific apparatuses according to a predetermined plan, then maintenance efficiency is improved, but flexibility to respond to unexpected failures decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by creating a flexible visit plan system that can dynamically adjust serviceman assignments based on real-time failure occurrences. The system maintains a structured visit plan for routine maintenance while incorporating dynamic modification capabilities that allow immediate reassignment of servicemen to handle unexpected failures, thus balancing maintenance efficiency with operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by modifying the visit plan parameters (serviceman assignments, visit timing, routes) in response to failure occurrence parameters. When a failure is detected, the system changes the plan parameters to prioritize the failed apparatus, adjusting the balance between scheduled maintenance and emergency response without completely abandoning the original efficient visit plan structure.
3Reliability
If all apparatuses are included in the visit plan, then comprehensive maintenance is ensured, but response time to critical failures increases due to travel distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by identifying and prioritizing specific apparatuses based on their failure risk profiles and criticality levels. Instead of treating all apparatuses uniformly, the system assigns different response priorities and serviceman proximity requirements to different apparatuses. Critical apparatuses are strategically monitored and assigned nearby servicemen, while less critical ones follow the standard visit plan, optimizing both availability and response time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism in the form of a central management system that coordinates between the visit plan, failure detection, and serviceman dispatch. This intermediary processes failure information, determines the need for urgent response, and facilitates rapid reassignment of servicemen, acting as a mediator that balances comprehensive maintenance coverage with rapid response capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
To enable a response to an urgent call-out caused by a failure occurrence, the degree of an occurrence of a failure in each of a plurality of apparatuses installed at different locations is predicted and a visit plan of each of a plurality of servicemen is created based on a prediction result.